Machine for stretching and finishing crimped uppers



(No Mode-1.

- L. KNETZGER;

' MACHINE FOR BTRETGHING AND FINISHING GEI MPED UPPERS. No. 340,445. Patented Apr; 20 1886.

N. PETERS. Photo-Lithographer, Wabhinglom D C.

time STATES PATE T FFIQE.

LEONARD KNETZGER, OF DUQUOIN, lLLINOlS.

BFEGIPIC-ATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 340,445, dated April 20, 1886.

Application filed September 1 1885. Serial No. 177,483. (No molel.)

described in said patent, but maybe employed to finish uppers crimped on other machines by other methods, and is also capable of performing the entire operation of crimpingbut more slowly than with the machine described in my said patent.

For convenience, I will confine my description herein'to the use of this invention with the product of my machine patented August 4, 1885, as above stated.

Figure 1 is a perspective of my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section of the same. Fig. 3 is a diagram of relative movement. Figs. 4 and 5 show the upper before and alter finishing.

The upper-leather crimped on my machine patented as above stated is in the form shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 5 shows the same finished with the wrinkles, &c., removed by treatment in my machine.

A is the bed-plate, supported on legs at a convenient height from the floor. The blade or formerB is hinged to the bed-plate at d, and is provided with a hand-lever,O. The matrixplates E- are placed upon the bed-plate A, and secured with dowels or other convenient means, whereby their lower edges are kept firmly in plaoe,yet with a limited latitude of movement.

The forward edge of the blade B has the usual form of a boot-crimping tree, and the matrix-plates E have their front edges, f, fashioned with reference to the front edge of said blade, so that as the latter enters between said matrix-plates pressure upon the leather will commence over the instep portion and extend therefrom over the foot and leg, the circular arrows in Fig. 3 indicating the arcs of motion and inclination of the matrix edges to said arcs.

The blade B, beingimpelled by manual force,

may proceed at such speed continuously or inboot front, and it is therefore necessary that different portions of the matrix-plates shall have an independent elasticity. I think it most convenient to secure this result by con fining the matrix-plates between two similar plates, G, of elastic metal, the elastic wings h z whereof, resting against the. matriX-platesE near the front and rear portions, give them an independent elasticity,yet,being derived from the general elasticity of the whole plate G,the pressure of one wing will, to a certain degree, be dependent upon the pressure of the other wing, and the general pressure will thus be kept in equilibrium. This would not be practicable with independent springs. The value of this equilibrated pressure may be easily understood when it is considered that all parts of the boot front will be subjected to the same uniform pressure whatever may be the relative differences in thickness of the foot and leg portions. v

The plates G have a fulcrum at is common to both of them. This fulcrum may be upon the bed-plate A, or it may be separated therefrom, and their elastic pressure may be increased or diminished by means of a screw, L, which passes through both of said plates and draws-them together or relaxes them.

The blade B is provided with one or more slots,q,having the general direction of the arc of motion, and in each of said slots I place a sliding serrated grip-plate, r. When the blade B has descended nearly as far as desired, the grips are pushed down, entering between said blade and the leather and gripping the latter firmly against the edge ofthe matrix-plate. The further descent of said blade therefore stretches the leather from the points where it is fastened by said grips.

Having described my invention, I claim asmatrix-plates E, and elastic plates G, having bearing-wingsvh i, and a tension serew, L, whereby the pressure of said matrix-plates upon the leather being crimped is always in equilibrium, as set forth.

L. KN ETZGER.

Witnesses:

GEO. E. PEGK, J. J OENEN. 

